Formafatal has constructed twin villas out of rammed earth on a jungled hillside in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica that open to the Pacific Ocean with expansive frameless glass.
Named Achioté, two 95-square metre villas are embedded in a steep 11,000-square metre plot of jungle, 300 metres above the sea and are, according to the studio, the "very first rammed earth implementation" in Costa Rica.
Called Achioté, the standalone villas sit atop a Costa Rican hill
Dagmar ?t?pánová, founder of the Czech Republic- and Costa Rica-based studio Formafatal, completed the villas last year and served as the architect, project manager and construction manager, as well as a co-investor of the project.
"My intention was to design sustainable houses with biophilic interiors," said ?t?pánová. "The architecture of villas is deliberate with its thin and sharp lines in contrast to lush tropical vegetation, but the chosen materials and colors coincide perfectly with the surroundings." Their facades are clad in rammed earth
The identical rectangular plans have only three solid exterior walls, constructed of rammed clay that was excavated from the site.
Brazilian expert Terra Compacta was brought in due to Costa Rica's "lack of experience" with the construction method.
Each villa contains a large bedroom
The rammed earth perimeter bearing walls ? in tandem with structural H-columns ? rise up from the concrete foundation and support the monolithic concrete...